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Applying to business school is a difficult and scary process. The different MBA programs available to students are unique: each has its own specialization, requirements, applicant preferences, and culture. When starting applications, it can be beneficial to get an idea of the different programs’ acceptance rates and class profiles to find out where you fit best.
These acceptance rates will provide a ballpark estimate; however, keep in mind that almost every school doesn't disclose its official acceptance rate. However, from class enrollment numbers, it's possible to get a rough idea that can provide some context.
Ultimate MBA Essay Guide
See the MBA essay prompts, top tips from experts, and real examples from admits with this comprehensive guide.
For more expert information on how to get into top business schools, check out these free resources:
- The Complete MBA Application Guide
- How to Write a Powerful MBA Essay -- With Examples
- Six Coaches' Best Advice for the MBA Interview
- The Ultimate M7 Essay Guide
- A Comprehensive MBA Application Timeline -- With Chart
- An Expert Coach's Top Tips for Non-Traditional MBA Applicants
MBA Acceptance Rates Overview
Stanford GSB: 5-6%
Harvard Business School: 11-12%
University of Pennsylvania Wharton: ~20%
University of Chicago Booth: 22-23%
Northwestern University Kellogg: 20-21%
MIT Sloan: 14.6%
Columbia Business School: 22%
UC Berkeley Haas: 17.6%
Dartmouth College Tuck: 22-23%
NYU Stern: 27%
Duke University Fuqua: 22-25%
University of Michigan Ross: 20%
University of Virginia Darden: 26-36%
Carnegie Mellon University Tepper: 27%
University of Southern California Marshall: 28-30%
UCLA Anderson: ~20%
University of Texas Austin McCombs: 28.5%
University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler: 44-51%
Georgetown University McDonough: 47.5%
University of Washington Foster: 40-41%
Indiana University Kelley: 38%
Vanderbilt University Owen: 35-40%
Rice University Jones: 39.5%
1. Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB)
GSB Class Profile (2023)
- Women: 44%
- Students of Color: 48%
- International: 47%
- First-Generation: 12%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 4.8
- Average GPA: 3.78
- Average GMAT: 738
- Average GRE: 165 (Verbal), 165 (Quantitative)
GSB Acceptance Rate: 5-6%
- Number of Applicants: 7,367
- Class Size: 426
See our full GSB guide here: Stanford GSB—MBA Program and Application Overview
2. Harvard Business School (HBS)
HBS Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 46%
- Students of Color: 40%
- International: 38%
- First Generation: 13%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.70
- Median GMAT: 730 (Verbal: 42, Quantitative: 48)
- Median GRE: 163 (Verbal and Quantitative)
HBS Acceptance Rate: 11-12%
- Number of Applicants: 8,264
- Class Size: 1,015
See our full HBS guide here: Harvard Business School—MBA Program and Application Overview
3. University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business
Wharton Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 50%
- International: 35%
- LGBTQ+ Students: 8%
- First-Generation: 11%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.6
- Average GMAT: 733
- Average GRE: 162 (Verbal and Quantitative)
Wharton Acceptance Rate: ~20%
- Number of Applicants: 6,319
- Class Size: 877
See our full Wharton guide here: The Wharton School—MBA Program and Application Overview
4. University of Chicago Booth
Booth Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 40%
- Students of Color: 51%
- International: 37%
- First-generation: 11%
- LGBTQ+: 7%
- Veterans: 8%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.6
- Average GMAT: 729
- Average GRE: 163 (Verbal), 164 (Quantitative)
Booth Acceptance Rate: 22-23%
- Number of Applicants: 4,352
- Class Size: 621
See our full Booth guide here: Chicago Booth—MBA Program and Application Overview
5. Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
Kellogg Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 48%
- Minority Students: 37%
- International: 38%
- LGBTQ+: 8%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.7
- Average GMAT: 729
- Median GRE: 162 (Verbal), 163 (Quantitative)
Kellogg Acceptance Rate: 20-21%
- Number of Applicants: 5,813 (class of 2022, this year's numbers not released)
- Class Size (2024): 503
See our full Kellogg guide here: Kellogg School of Management—MBA Program and Application Overview
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan
Sloan Class Profile (2023)
- Women: 44%
- Minority Students: 23%
- International: 43%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.59
- Median GMAT: 730
- GRE Range: 157-168 (Verbal), 158-169 (Quantitative)
Sloan Acceptance Rate: 14.6%
- Number of Applicants: 7,122
- Class Size: 409
See our full Sloan guide here: MIT Sloan—MBA Program and Application Overview
7. Columbia University Business School
Columbia Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 44%
- Minority Students: 42%
- International: 51%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.6
- Average GMAT: 729
- Average GRE: 158 (Verbal), 167 (Quantitative)
Columbia Acceptance Rate: 22%
- Number of Applicants: 6,177
- Admitted: 1,363
- Class Size: 844
See our full Columbia Business School guide here: Columbia Business School—MBA Program and Application Overview
8. University of California Berkeley Haas School of Business
Haas Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 46%
- Minority Students: 45%
- International: 41%
- First-generation: 13%
- LGBTQ+: 16%
- Veterans: 4%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.6
- Average GPA: 3.64
- Average GMAT: 729
- Average GRE: 161 (Verbal), 163 (Quant)
Haas Acceptance Rate: 17.6%
- Number of Applicants: 3,700
- Class Size: 247
See more at University of California Berkeley Haas—MBA Program and Application Overview
9. Yale University School of Management (SOM)
Yale SOM Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 43%
- Students of Color: 54%
- International: 48%
- LGBTQ+: 12%
- First-Generation: 17%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 4.7
- Average GPA: 3.69
- Median GMAT: 725
- Median GRE: 164 (Verbal), 166 (Quantitative)
Yale SOM Acceptance Rate: 23.7%
- Class Size: 347
See our full Yale guide here: Yale School of Management—MBA Program and Application Overview
10. Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business
Tuck Class Profile (2023)
- Women: 45%
- Minority Students: 31%
- International: 43%
- LGBTQ+: 7%
- Students with children: 5%
- First-Generation: 11%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.4
- Average GPA: 3.52
- Average GMAT: 726
- Average GRE: 162 (Verbal), 162 (Quantitative)
Tuck Acceptance Rate: 22-23%
- Class Size: 287
See more here: Dartmouth Tuck—MBA Program and Application Overview
Coach Recommendations
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11. New York University Stern School of Business
Stern Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 45%
- Minority Students: 47%
- International: 44%
- LGBTQ+: 9%
- Veterans/Active Duty: 11%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.62
- Average GMAT: 733
- Average GRE: 162 (Verbal), 163 (Quantitative)
Stern Acceptance Rate: 27%
- Number of Applicants: 3,553
- Admitted Students: 962
- Class Size: 324
See more here: NYU Stern—MBA Program and Application Overview
12. Duke University Fuqua School of Business
Fuqua Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 48%
- Minority Students: 43%
- International: 39%
- Military: 9%
- Have a Partner: 30%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 6
- Average GPA (middle 80%): 3.1-3.9
- GMAT Range: 680-760
- GRE Combined Average: 317
Fuqua Acceptance Rate: 22-25%
- Class Size: 399
Read our full Fuqua guide here: Duke Fuqua—MBA Program and Application Overview
13. University of Michigan Ann Arbor Ross School of Business
Ross Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 42%
- Students of Color: 42%
- International: 36%
- LGBTQIAS+: 9%
- Military: 7%
- First Generation: 14%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.6
- Average GPA: 3.5
- Average GMAT: 720
- Average GRE: 160 (Verbal), 160 (Quantitative)
Ross Acceptance Rate: 20%
- Class Size: 380
See more here: University of Michigan Ross—MBA Program and Application Overview
14. University of Virginia Darden School of Business
Darden Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 20%
- Minority Students: 21%
- International: 43%
- Military: 8%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.8
- Average GPA: 3.51
- Average GMAT: 720
- Average GRE: 319 (combined)
Darden Acceptance Rate: 26-36%*
*Estimates vary within this range.
- Class Size: 348
See our full Darden guide here: University of Virginia Darden—MBA Program and Application Overview
15. Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management
Johnson Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 39%
- Underrepresented Minorities: 16%
- International: 43%
- US Military: 13%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.5
- Median GPA: 3.3
- Median GMAT: 710
- Average GRE: 320 (combined)
Johnson Acceptance Rate: 39.6%
- Class Size: 303
16. Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business
Tepper Class Profile (2023)
- Women: 21%
- Minority Students: 44%
- International: 34%
- LGBTQ+: 4%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.4
- Average GPA: 3.35
- Average GMAT: 691
- Average GRE: 320 (combined)
Tepper Acceptance Rate: 27%
- Number of Applicants: 800-1000
- Class Size: 231
17. University of Southern California Marshall School of Business
Marshall Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 46%
- Students of Color: 56%
- International: 41%
- LGBTQ+: 10%
- US Military: 10%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.5
- Average GPA: 3.58
- Average GMAT: 732
- Average GRE: 160 (Verbal), 161 (Quant)
Marshall Acceptance Rate: 28-30%
- Number of Applicants: 2,652
- Class Size: 190
18. University of California Los Angeles Anderson School of Management
Anderson Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 35%
- Minority Students: 28%
- International: 47%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 6
- GPA Range (middle 80%): 3.1-3.8
- Average GMAT: 711
- Average GRE: 162 (Verbal), 167 (Quantitative)
Anderson Acceptance Rate: ~20%
- Number of Applicants: 2,471
- Class Size: 330
19. University of Texas Austin McCombs School of Business
McCombs Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 35%
- Minority Students: 38%
- International: 24%
- US Military: 13%
- First-Generation: 11%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.7
- Average GPA: 3.48
- Average GMAT: 706
- Average GRE: 160 (Verbal), 159 (Quantitative)
McCombs Acceptance Rate: 28.5%
- Class Size: 220
- Dual Degree Students: 21
20. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School
Kenan-Flagler Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 38%
- Minority Students: 23%
- International: 35%
- Military: 9%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.43
- Average GMAT: 706
- Average GRE: 317 (combined)
Kenan-Flagler Acceptance Rate: 44-51%
- Class Size: 242
21. Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
McDonough Class Profile (2023)
- Women: 34%
- Minority Students: 38%
- International: 42%
- Military: 9%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.7
- Average GPA: 3.29
- Average GMAT: 697
- Average GRE: 317 (combined)
McDonough Acceptance Rate: 47.5%
- Number of Applicants: 1,537
- Class Size: 249
22. University of Washington Foster School of Business
Foster Class Profile (2023)
- Women: 40%
- Students of Color: 36%
- International: 40%
- Military: 9%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 6
- Average GPA: 3.42
- Average GMAT: 704
- Average GRE: 161 (Verbal), 160 (Quantitative)
UW Foster Acceptance Rate: 40-41%
- Class Size: 126
23. Indiana University (Bloomington) Kelley School of Business
Kelley Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 26%
- Minority Students: 17%
- International: 45%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 6
- Average GPA: 3.38
- Average GMAT: 685
- Average GRE: 159 (Verbal), 159 (Quant)
IU Kelley Acceptance Rate: 38%
- Number of Applicants: ~500
- Class Size: 125
24. Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management
Owen Class Profile (2024)
- Women: 29%
- Minority Students: 20%
- International: 31%
- Military: 17%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5.3
- Median GPA: 3.34
- Average GMAT: 690
- Average GRE: Doesn't report
Owen Acceptance Rate: 35-40%
- Number of Applicants: ~700
- Class Size: 147
25. Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business
Jones Class Profile (2023)
- Women: 33%
- Minority Students: 30%
- International: 39%
- First-Generation: 21%
- Average Years of Work Experience: 5
- Average GPA: 3.51
- Average GMAT: 705
- Average GRE: 316 (combined)
Jones Acceptance Rate: 39.5%
- Number of Applicants: 587
- Class Size: 178
These numbers give a good rough estimate of the class profiles and application cutoffs. However, applications change every year depending on the number and profile of the applicants, and the school’s priorities, and may not line up exactly with past years. Compile the best application you can, and shoot for the stars!
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